Visual Rhetoric in STEM Writing Workshop

A standing-room-only crowd of forty cadets attended a workshop on visual rhetoric in STEM writing led by COL Bret Van Poppel (Deputy Head) and LTC Seth Norberg (Assistant Professor), Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering (CME). Given that data visualization is a constant in STEM courses of every stripe, in the sciences and engineering sequences, capstones, and beyond. COL Van Poppel and LTC Norberg articulated strategies for getting it relevant, precise, and right. Their presentation emphasized the value of writing in every discipline, with reference to experiences in their own professional careers and the design of the West Point Writing Program. They also included practical exercises where cadets grappled with real world examples, and rooted their advice in a blend of their own work and teaching, materials from peer institutions, and Writing Center scholarship.